Miami Heat at 30: Ira Winderman's Top 10 power forwards of all-time

Robert Duyos / Sun Sentinel

The hope was Salley would recreate his Spiderman-style defensive trappings that had made him such an essential fit on the Pistons' championship roster. Instead, he arrived in 1992 with a scorer's mentality, an objective that did not fit his skill set. Still, his acquisition showed an aggressive bent by management at a time the Heat were searching for a star. He then was unceremoniously dumped in the 1995 expansion draft.

The hope was Salley would recreate his Spiderman-style defensive trappings that had made him such an essential fit on the Pistons' championship roster. Instead, he arrived in 1992 with a scorer's mentality, an objective that did not fit his skill set. Still, his acquisition showed an aggressive bent by management at a time the Heat were searching for a star. He then was unceremoniously dumped in the 1995 expansion draft.

The tenure came during a transition period, with the Heat first looking to unload a disgruntled Shaquille O'Neal and then create salary-cap space. But the Matrix, in what ultimately was just a single year with the Heat, displayed much of the versatility that coaches so covet at the position today, arguably as talented defensively as any player the franchise has featured at the position. His Heat career ended with a game-winning dunk against the Bulls in 2008, so there always will be that.

The tenure came during a transition period, with the Heat first looking to unload a disgruntled Shaquille O'Neal and then create salary-cap space. But the Matrix, in what ultimately was just a single year with the Heat, displayed much of the versatility that coaches so covet at the position today, arguably as talented defensively as any player the franchise has featured at the position. His Heat career ended with a game-winning dunk against the Bulls in 2008, so there always will be that.